| Guitar Hero Live | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | FreeStyleGames |
| Publisher(s) | Activision |
| Series | Guitar Hero |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 3 PlayStation 4 Wii U Xbox 360 Xbox One iOS |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Rhythm |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Guitar Hero Live is a 2015 rhythm game developed by FreeStyleGames and published by Activision. It is the seventh main instalment and the twelfth overall instalment in the Guitar Hero series. The game was released for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One in October 2015. As with previous games in the series, the goal is to use a special guitar controller to match fret patterns displayed on a scrolling note pattern on screen in time with the music.
The game serves as a reboot of the Guitar Hero franchise, being the first new entry in the series since Warriors of Rock in 2010. Activision wanted to bring back Guitar Hero for the next generation of video game consoles but wanted the new game to be innovative. These innovations included a new guitar controller featuring a six button, three-fret layout in contrast to the 5 button controller of previous games. The game featured two main modes; GH Live, the games career mode, featured the note pattern displayed atop full motion video taken from the perspective of a lead guitarist during a concert, with the crowd and other band members dynamically reacting to the player's performance. In the other main mode, GHTV, songs are presented with the note track overlaid atop their music video or from live concert footage. The mode also allows players to pick up and play currently-streamed songs at any time or use money and in-game credits to play any song within the library, forgoing traditional downloadable content. The game was shipped with forty-two songs on disc and 200 songs within the GHTV library; new content has been added to GHTV on a weekly basis, provided through premium shows that earn players unique rewards.
Guitar Hero Live was released to mostly positive reception, with critics praising the new controller design for providing trickier and more realistic gameplay in comparison to previous Guitar Hero games, as well as the wider variety of content available via the GHTV mode. The main Live portion of the game received mixed reviews, with criticism towards its weak soundtrack, lack of multiplayer and the live action videos. The GHTV mode also received mixed reception for its reliance on microtransactions, and the inability to permanently purchase songs to own.
Due to the game's underwhelming sales and reception, Activision laid off many employees of FreeStyleGames and sold the company to Ubisoft in 2017. The GHTV mode was shut down on 1 December 2018, reducing the available Guitar Hero songs from 484 to the 42 present on-disc.[2][3]
- ^ a b c Sirani, Jordan (14 July 2015). "Another Batch of Guitar Hero Live Songs Revealed". IGN. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
- ^ "Guitar Hero Live – GHTV Sunset". Activision Support. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
- ^ "Guitar Hero Live's Guitar Hero TV to shut down, dramatically reducing the song catalog". Polygon. 6 June 2018. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2018.